Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee

Dear Delegates,

Oliver Wenner

I am delighted to welcome you to the Social, Cultural and Humanitarian Committee of Harvard National Model United Nations 2012. I find that it is of greatest importance to make sure that you will enjoy what I am certain will be an extraordinary conference. My name is Oliver Wenner, I am a sophomore at Harvard and I was born and raised in the glorious Kingdom of Sweden. At Harvard, I will be concentrating in philosophy, with a personal focus on metaphysics. Although I spend a significant portion of my time in the abstract realm of philosophy, I am also deeply interested in history, psychology, and of course, political theory and international relations. When I am not immersed in philosophical texts, I am involved in the extracurricular life at Harvard. I rowed crew for Harvard’s heavyweight team, and I am in the process of starting up a think tank together with other, passionate students, some of whom are my fellow directors at the conference.

Harvard National Model United Nations is a fantastic opportunity for you to engage in intellectual debate with fellow students from all over the world, enrich your knowledge and most importantly, and simply enjoy the conference. I hope that you are as thrilled about the conference as I am. As we begin the sessions, you will immediately be thrust into an acute issue that the international community is facing, namely the complexity of humanitarian intervention. Drawing from the theoretical grounds of both the treaty of the Peace of Westphalia and the contemporary Responsibility to Protect doctrine, it is the committees mission to establish a general framework for how the international community ought to handle interventions in nations suffering through internal conflicts.

Although this might be evident to you, I cannot stress enough how crucial it is that when you are preparing for the conference and researching the topic, you focus on the role and interests of your specific country, in a global context. The study guide will provide, if I may say so myself, a great overview of the topic, and it contains recommendations to further resources and relevant literature. I encourage you to engage in research that goes beyond the study guide, so that you will enter the conference with a solid foundation and a profound understanding of, and appreciation for, the complexity of the topic. My contact information will be made available to you, so if you have any questions, please, do not hesitate to contact me. I am looking forward to meeting all of you in February!

Sincerely,

Oliver Wenner
Director, Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee
Harvard National Model United Nations 2012

Topic Area A: Humanitarian Intervention

The United Nations and the international community are facing a critical issue with profound implications on the dynamics of international and domestic politics. After the Peace of Westphalia, nations signed treaties to affirm state sovereignty. In 2001, the Responsibility to Protect doctrine was introduced as a principle of justification for essentially overriding state sovereignty, in the name of humanitarian causes. Although well-intended, the conflicting approaches of the two principles have severe consequences for how the international community can, and ought to, interact with other states. Individual nations now have the possibility to manipulate the doctrines for egoistic interests, employing the rhetoric of humanitarianism. The Responsibility to Protect doctrine can be used as an imperialistic instrument, where justification for violating the sovereignty of another country is derived from falsely stated humanitarian cause. Conversely, if one grants that the international community has a responsibility to aid populations in countries with violations of human right, then states can avoid their responsibility by merely negating the severity of the situation, as seen in Rwanda in 1994.

Not only are fundamental conflicting ideals at stake, but also the methods of intervention are difficult and worth our attention. Ranging from armed interventions, to instruments such as education, aid and NGOs, it is crucial that they are used in a correct manner. For countries suffering through internal conflict, as recently seen in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia, does the international community have a responsibility to intervene? If intervention is found to be essential, how can it be used in an efficient manner, balancing long-term growth, stability and security, with crucial short-term action? I urge you, delegates of the Social, Cultural and Humanitarian Committee of the General Assembly, to appreciate the complexity of the situation that the international community is facing, and that you employ all your reasoning, passion and empathy when debating this issue of profound importance.

Topic Area B: Refugees

As this message is being composed, tens of millions of individuals are displaced due to different mechanisms, ranging from internal displacement, fear of violence, war or governmental retaliation. What makes refugee protection a pressing matter is not just the mere quantity of refugees – although that should be enough to catch our attention. Rather, it is the fact that it is not a phenomenon contained to a single occurrence, but displacement is spread across the globe, with refugees in all different stages. Whereas some are fleeing to make it to another country, other have reached a safe haven, possibly to immediately be rejected or overwhelmed by bureaucratic processes. Furthermore, the constantly growing number of refugees makes the matter even more urgent. However, it is not evident which path is the most efficient, humane and generates the most stability. On the contrary, every conflict presents a unique set of challenges, so a dynamic course of action must be adopted.

Even more importantly, it is of the utmost importance that the United Nations focuses not only on the immediate region of conflict, but also on the responsibilities that potentially hosting countries have in integrating displaced individuals into their societies, and what support can be provided to those countries in return. Another matter that is related to the refugee question, but which is in itself highly complex, is if and how states can intervene in conflict situations with respect to refugee protection. Once again, delegates of the Social, Cultural and Humanitarian Committee of the General Assembly, I urge you to employ all your wisdom, passion and knowledge when collaborate and establishing a resolution that is crucial to protection of refugees.